February 2017 Illuminations

Major influences

Once again this month the planetary weather is primarily driven by the smaller and faster moving planets which bring a milder planetary climate. We do however have both a solar and a lunar eclipse this month. Eclipses bring with them a certain kind of magic - they reveal the Truth where it has been hidden, and can enhance our understanding by awakening the unconscious. This can be intense, of course, but sometimes this kind of intensity leads to great wisdom.

Jupiter (desire for expansion) turns retrograde on February 6th, and before changing direction its motion slows down to a virtual standstill. As it retrogrades back through Libra it will reawaken the challenging Uranus/Pluto square that has generated so much chaotic energy since 2010, bringing about a resurgence of chaos as the Universe strives to achieve a balance. Foundations of wisdom are challenged and destroyed where needed to bring about new and more effective patterns, both in our personal lives and in the world at large. Where you see chaos, try to see how the dying patterns of the past are moving away so that this balance can be more successfully achieved.

February Details

During the first few days of the month the mind is active - finding ways to increase harmony and expand our ability to understand the world. We are acting from the mind more than from the heart during this time, and with Mars being in its own fiery sign of Aries we will likely find ourselves being more self-oriented than is typical.

This will be even more true when Venus (relating) enters Aries - for the next few weeks our relationships and contact with others will be more self-serving and focused on our own goals.

Ceres re-enters Taurus for the first time since the summer of 2016. Ceres is the (dwarf) planet of nurturing and care of the physical body, and Taurus represents the earth and all of her bounty so this is a particularly lovely time for self-nurturing through food and nutrition.

During the week before Jupiter turns retrograde on the 6th it will be a challenge to moderate behavior and impulses. Jupiter encourages us to be King and instills us with the confidence we need to take on new challenges, and if this Jupiter station is affecting something in our own chart we may feel some frustration if things aren't going our way. Jupiter is also associated with good fortune, of course, and when Jupiter is retrograde we have a chance for a do-over, to take advantage of missed opportunities.

Mercury enters Aquarius on the 7th, and for the next few weeks our thinking will be more intellectual and less reactive and emotional. On the 9th and 10th we may find new and unique ways to stimulate our lives, and greater ability to communicate with those around us. There is a natural compatibility between people at this time that is embedded in the chart of the lunar eclipse (Full Moon) in Leo. The eclipse in Leo demands that we look at the ways in which we express our ego (Leo) and purify these expressions so that they truly reflect the depths of who we are.

The lunar eclipse features a Grand Trine in fire, stimulating a desire for change and action, that is part of a Kite formation that grounds itself into the Aquarius Sun. Quite a few important planetary dynamics are locked into this eclipse which will make it a fertile time for greater self-awareness and understanding. The effect of the eclipse will last for 3-4 days after the actual event.

On the 16th the mind is energized and focused, making this a good time (February 15-17) for writing or planning.

The Sun enters Pisces on February 18th, and we will soon notice a shift from the transpersonal detachment of Aquarius and Aries into the flow of Pisces as Mercury enters Pisces on the 25th followed by the solar eclipse in Pisces on the 26th.

Before that, though, we have a few days from the 20th-22nd where the mind is strongly inspired and open-minded. However, this will lead to an intense time where Mars interacts with Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter over the next several weeks. During this period tempers are likely to flare and arguments will abound. Fortunately, harmonious aspects will intercede and help with the processing of issues that arise under the power of Mars.

Still, that Mars aspect is embedded in the chart of the solar eclipse on February 26th, disrupting the easy flow of the Pisces New Moon eclipse. This eclipse is stronger than some, with the North Node in a tight alignment with the Sun and Moon which intensifies the eclipse effect. There is a fated quality to an eclipse where the North Node of the future is strongly represented, and there is a sense here of something powerful being broken away and allowed to find its full expression. This eclipse unites the spiritual and creative transcendence of Pisces with the power of the individual that is represented by the Mars alignments. This can have the effect either to bring about intense emotional dramas, or to energize our highest aspirations. The choice is up to us!

PLANETARY CALENDAR

2/1 Mercury sextile Chiron

2/2 Mercury square Jupiter

2/3 Venus enters Aries

2/4 Ceres enters Taurus

2/6 Jupiter turns retrograde

2/7 Mercury enters Aquarius, Mercury squares Ceres

2/9 Sun sextile Uranus

2/10 Mercury sextile Venus, Lunar eclipse 22 Leo

2/11 Sun trine Jupiter

2/14 Sun sextile Saturn

2/16 Mercury sextile Mars

2/18 Sun enters Pisces

2/20 Mercury sextile Uranus

2/21 Mercury trine Jupiter, Sun opposite NN

2/22 Mars square Pluto

2/23 Mercury sextile Saturn

2/24 Sun sextile Ceres

2/25 Mercury enters Pisces

2/26 Solar eclipse 8 Pisces

I hope you find this information useful! If you'd like to know more about how your own chart is affected by these planetary influences consider a personal consultation with me.

Lynn Hayes has been a consulting astrologer since the mid-1980s, working with clients to achieve greater self-understanding and empowerment. She uses the birthchart to identify psychological and evolutionary patterns and systems, and then uses a process using a powerful combination of methods including "vision crafting" to permit breakthroughs in all areas of your life and heal old wounds that can prevent you from moving forward. Clients report rapid progress in breaking through areas where they formerly felt "stuck," and achieving a level of self-understanding not before known. This is why Lynn calls her practice "Astrodynamics."